Ditch digger



July' l 1930- J. B. RUATTI 1,769,074

I I l DITCH BIGGER Filed Feb. 11, 1926v 6 Sheetssheet l July 1, 1930. J.B. RuAT-rl 1,769,074

DITCH DIGGER Filed Feb. 11, 1926' 6 Sheets-Sheet v2 l, 1930- l J. B.RUA'TTI y 1,769,074

BITCH BIGGER Filed Feb. 1l, 1926 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 July l, 1930.

DITCH DIGGER Filed Feb. ll, 1926 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 jill/6111101@ -.J. B.RUATTI 1,769,074

July 1', 1930. .1. B. RUATT'I 1,769,074

' DITCH BIGGER Filed Feb. 1l, 1926 6 Sheets-*Sheet 6 speed driveLfors-the `tractor which mayzbe i suitable framefattached.theretolh'supporta Patented i UNI sT iP fornica- Josera B. RUATT'Lo Vnosmiennes. eAL1ronNiA,.lAssIGNonloF ONE-HALF .To BE'NJA# MmmemvnvaooagorLosANGELEsg oALIFonNIA Y D-ITcH ymutation mea February V. invention isalditch digger ofthe end- .less bucket type,y adapted to, be carried by:a tractor to be moved lengthwiseof the ditch, theditchbeing dug vateneside of theytrac.-`

tor.. 1 1 -V A# An object of my invention is to construct a frameworkvforsupporting.a ditch digger,

. the framework being attachable to standard type of tractor lor ltosomewhat similar tractors. i Y

A. further objectfofgmy invention is to mount a ditchdiggerof the.endless bucket type in thefframework so lthat;the'digger may be raisedand' loweredand be' driven in the digging operationby the engineof thetractor." u v A further object `of vmy invention is aslovv` broughtginto voperation.- zwhen the "digger is working in order to, slow downthe longitudinal movement.r-` l i, "1- 1.

An additional object of the slow .z speed f drive .is to have anincreased bearing surface for thetractor ydriving mechanism-and toVelevate the ordinary ktractor drivingwheels vwhen the slow speed driveis in operation.l

. vention of the combinedfeatures is to mount Considered generally, an.object of my in? aditch digger ena tractor so that the digger canread-ily be moved.fromplace to vrplace by the ordinary driving power. ofthe tractor and "the slow Vspeed mechanism would` be raisedl from theground when thetractor wheels are in engagementr therewith. y l

A. specific object of inventionis to form the'` slow speedmechanismgwith a quick dei taehable connection to the sframe carryingthe digger so that these parts maybe readily f bodily removed.

In constructing the digger of my inventionV Ipreferablymake Vuse astandard type of tractor now on thefma'rket andbymeans of a ditch diggerofthe endless belt ytype at one sideV of the tractor...Avvsubstantialleverarin is pivotally swung on thel rear vaxle housingof thertractor and is. adapted to raise and lower the digging mechanism.A slow speed nissan 15.1926.' semi No.' 87,557.

lever and Vbrought into engagement with the f groundron. the! swingingof the lever' up at the forward end and downwardly at lthe rearward endof the tractor. This swinging operraises the tractor wheels,itheendlessbucket l digger is tilted intoa suitable diggingpositionii,` iThisy Idigger may then be raised Vand lowered by` manually operatedmechanism,

thisy having powenrediicing gearing'. The endless track slow speeddriveisdriven through mechanism connected/to the rear wheelsof the`tractor,and being elevated. to

rotate vlfreely;through the ordinaryV engine drive; the transmissionltothe. endless track device having speed reducinggearing. The Y excavatorbucketsv are `driven .by a power` transmission from a. powershaft@ermanen-t-` lygmountedas an integral part ofthe traotoi".

invention in yits various. aspects and the details thereof willjbemore'readily underdrawingsyin which;

stood from the `following description and CII Figure .1 is a planviewofk mydiggergt;

tached Atov a `"standard tractor, showing the;

slow speed mechanism.

f Fig. 2 is a side elevation in" the direction Vof the arrow 2 oflfig.`l, with thetractor 'wheels on the yground and the digger and endless.trackdriveelevated. v. Y

' .Figi is a 4.view similar to Fig. 2, with endless. track drive beinginoperation and the digging buckets in operation `digging a d1tch..` l.Eig; 14e is a partial side elevation with the digger `mechanismcompletely removed to illustrateitliezframmg,y

Figa eis-a rearv elevation taken in the diii-ectiofii o fgtlieY arrow5jof Fig. 3. i

F ig.\`6 is a detail horizontal. sectionon the i line 6 6 through thebuckety digger. I Fig. Z isa detail side view of the ybucketdiggerillustrating in part .the raising and lowering mechanism therefor.v y.

.Fig .is aifverticaltransverse section on the rear .wheels of thetractor elevated7 the mechanism of the digger.

len

Fig. 9'is a plan view of the deta-ilfof Fig. 8 in the direction of thearrow 9. n

Fig.- is a developed view in the direction of the arrow 10 of Fig. 2,showing parts in section of the drive mechanism for the bucket Anismashereunder vdescribed and a forward ,end '22 y.-tofcon'nect withtheoperating" mech# 'anism fr'isuch'levers.

excavator.

`Fig. 11k is a transverse 'verticaljs'ection' slightly forward'oftheline 11-4-11'of Fig. 4, to indicate the operating levers andpowerfdrive Yfor raising and lowering the tractor wheels; these leversbeing indicatedintheir position when the tractor wheels are. on theground; Y I l Fig. '12 is a plan in partial section ofthe .slowV speedendless track drive as if taken in the direction of the arrow 12 ofFig.-2.`

y Fig13` is a detail longitudinal section on the line 13-13 of Fig. 12,in the direction of therarrows. i Y

1 Fior. 14 is a perspective detail showing the attachment'of one of thefixed frame members to the engine casing. f v v The tractor vwith whichmy 'digging mechanism and slow speed drive is shown'attached,

is shown'with its essential characteristics,

these being substantially'as'follows: j n The particular tractorillustrated is known in the trade as the Fordson tractor, having a frame1-forming the engine base withfthe` engine 2 mounted thereon, a frontaxle 3, akv

rear'axle housing 4 having rear driving ywheels l5, the steering wheels6 being mounted on the front axle. i

The radiator 7 has a rearwardly extending water tank 8 which forms asupport for part ofthe mechanism and is hereunder vinentioned'. It willbe understood that thecontrol mechanism for the tractor may be'leftsubstantially in the same'condition in which the tractor is' sold. i

VThe framing for attaching the digger mechanism is constructedsubstantially as follows, having reference particularly to Figs. 1 to 5:f'

A stub axle 9 is attached to one ofthe driving wheels or the drivingwheel axlesand extends outwardly therefrom in alinement with such axle.vThis forms `a support 'for a stationary lower bar 10 which has the'jourfnal 11 for the shaft.l This bar extendsforf wardly to position adj aeentthe front wheels and then has an inward extension 12and a forwardextension 13 asrv shown particularly in Figs. 1 and 14; this forwardextension being attached to a brace 14 which is rigidly bolted to theange 15'of' the engine casing..y A saddle 16, preferablyv made of woodis positioned over the watertank :8 and has a pair of depending straps17 these strapsbeing bolted to the forward end of the brace 14 asindicated at 18. The fixed bar 12 is rigidlysecured at its front andrearfends.

veyor is constructed substantially as follows:

A'pair' of lifting levers 19 each formed in upper and lower sections areswivelly mounted on the rear axle housing as indicatedparticularly'bythe numeral 20 inrFig. 13; vThese levers have a rearwardextension 21 for supporting the slow speedl endless track mechaparallelto the bar 10 and then has an inward bend 25 being connected at itsforward end 26to the `leverarm 19 on one side of the ma chine, thisbeing shownl on the right hand side lookingforward. Such bar thereforeswivels with the levers 19.

A Vrelatively fixed vframe mounted to oscillate comprises posts 27extending upwardly fromA the levers V19 and havingl a cross beam 28,vextendsoutwardly beyond the side ofthe tractor. This beam has a forwardextension 29 to which is connected a strut 30, such strut being attachedto thebar 23. vThis forms a support for the digging mechanism hereunderdescribed.` ,I 'Y fy '1 twill thus be seenthat when the beam Aoscillatesthe frame composed of the elements 27 ,'28, 29' and '30 also oscillatesthereby tilt- Ving .the 'digging Vdevice' `from thejposition shown inFig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 3. The mounting of the diggersissubstantially as follows, being illustrated particularly in Figs.1to7: iv Y lThe strut 30 has upper and lower -guide lugs 31 and upper and'lower yokes 32 con-nected ont-he outside'by across bar 33. The frame 34forthe diggers comprises a'pair of channels 35 having a series ofrollers 36'mounted therein and 'carrying a driving sprocket 37 mountedon a drive'shaft 38, this shaft being adj ustably secured as indicated,by the adjustment. screw 39 in the slot 40'between the f two channels.kAsprocket 41 is positioned yatv the lower rend of the channels and thebucket chains 42 having buckets 43a thereon passover the sprockets 37and 41.

`Axdischarge rchute 43 is secured at its upper end vtothe I-beam 29 anda swivel-ling lspout 44 extends across the lower end of the chute,

Athis lspout being pivoted vat 45 to-the I-beam 29. A latch 46 suspendsthe spout from they chute'and rallows it to bedisengaged to hangdownwardly when the digger is being trans# ported. l@

The driving mechanism for the digger lis Y constructed'substantially -asfollows, having reference particularly to Figs. 1 to 4:

A pinion 47 is mounted on the end of a shaft whichis part of thetractorand driven from the engine. A counter-shaft 48 having a gournal 49 at`one end on the framey of the engine and `afjournal on `the'ixed.loWerbeing shown particularly in Figs. 6 to 9V: f A" transverse pulley 64 ismountedv inthe bar 10, carries a gear l51 drivenb-y the pinion 47.:Affranief extends outwardly `from the j lower fixed barlO and has ajournal: v53; for the o uterend of theshaft 48.v Asprocket 54 is carriedbetvveenthe journals 50 and 5.3 and forms the'initial gear inqa flexibletransrfnis"-` sioni This transmission comprises' the arms 55 formed'inpairs and pivoting onthe shaft .48 linked 'by a sliaft"56' to upper"arms 57,' the varms 55 and 57-being 4formed 'of double bars asshownparticularly in Fig. 10 spaced apart by braces 58 large s'procket`59 isdriven'by the chain 60 from the sprocket 54 rotating the f` shaft 56 andthereby transmitting' motion through 'the small sprocket 61 andthe uppersprocket chain 62to the drive sprocket 68 on the drive shaft'88ofthe'digger mechanism. A

The manner of` raising and lowering the bucket excavator issubstantially as follows,

lower portion ot: the'AV bucket frame betweenk the'channelsand hasalcable65 having one s to the upperflange' of the IJbeam 29, there be-I4`ing a second guide pulley 69 over which the rope -isroved,'theifopethence leading to the drum 70 Vjournaled in brackets 71 depending endsecured at'66 to` theupperiguidellugs 31';V

roved over said pulleyand leading upwardlyv to a pulley 67 mounted on aplate 68 secured from'therplate 68;

The drum has aWorm geary 7 2 connected theretoor keyed tothejsfamefshaft73 on" ffl which the drum is mounted fand 'a Worm 74v ona v'Wormfshaft'f mounted in journals 7 Gon the plate 68 isrotated-byfthehand Wheel 77 #Thus dependent'onthe' directionof `ro-y f;position to that tating thehand Wheel the cable is lwound'in and outand`v` therefore rises-o-r-allovs .the dropping; of thefexcavatingbucket l"traine andthe buckets; this action causing the arms 55 and 57to changeV their relative angle-from driveand also tilting theexcavator' buckets is substantially asffollows;being'illustratedV'particularlyI in Figs. 1 to 4 and'11`:v

` [is above mentionedfin thed'escription'-, the saddle 16 has the straps17 depending thereyfrom at; both sidesiA-drum Vshaft 78 is mounted yonjournals 7 9Y on the top ot the saddle, this shafthavingldrums' 80keyedthereon v`and idler pulleys 81are mounted ontheloiver ends of thestraps17.7 1Cables 82 are roved'up over theidrum yhaving .sev-k eral or moreturns t-herearound yandover'the pulleys 81 being connected to..theftorivard end 22 of the leversy19. .iA wornifwheel. 88`

f ismounted on the drum yshaft 7 8 bein'gdriven;

by a Worm 84-on a Worm-shaft 85 theshaft having a hand Wheel 86 in aconvenient position 'to the operatoro thetractorJ- B v manipulation ofthehand Wheel-86 by' rotating kit eitherl Oneway or theother the drumshaft 7 8 rotatesinone `direction or the other 'andihence Winds thecable 82 in different directions, thecable Vthereby actuating.- theend22 ofthe levers vinopposite. directions A iff desired. i As the outerends of the'leversj are-cralsed'up, the rear end 1s depressed,V the41Vrear` axlelhousinglfas levers `turning on the above mentioned" Theconstruction of `the lendless tracksupport for 'the rear endxof thelevers/iis sub-V s tantially as follows, having reference particularlyinFigs.l 1 to 5 andl 12 and1-13z` lThe rearwardextension 210i tlieleversis'.

formed with an Aupperand lower sectionlse-v.

poured by bolts'. 87 tolthe levers 19 and its outer-1 end-.bywbolts88'.; A cross shaft- 89 iis mounted `infj ournals `90iat the rear `end'of the extensions 21 and sleeve 91 arecarriedby the outer ends of theshaft, the sleeves beingboltedto sprockets92 at theirinner end `andtoendless track sprockets 93 at theirouter end.r`

V Side frame bars 94aremounted on the sleeves 911'andjtheouter endsofthe shaft 8 9; l These bars'have endlesstrack Wheels 95 and 96`mountedat opposite ends..V The WheelAv 96 `is adjustablefby means-'ofthe screw and `nut device 97 to give adjustment for theendless `tr-acktread 98 which extends over the endless track; Wheels q'ind` 9,6and isdriven by the' sprockets 93.k L Y Y From` the 'above y j description aweite .esta that" WhentheA forward. end of they leverslare raised therear extension 21 is-depressed,;

the endless tracktread coming in contact with the ground and `hencelifting the/rear Wheels 5 of the'tractor above they ground. This shiftsthe relative relation ofthe endless trackdeviceand thedriving Wheelsfrom `that shown Vin Fig. 2 to the position of Figs; 3 and4;l

A positive drive is; communicatedl to the. endless Atrack treads in the`following manner, as illustrated particularly `in Figs. 12` and 13: 7 i

" .i VBcvelled `gears 99 are `rigidly bolted or@ otherwise secured tothe tractor Wheels 5 `and "ff Y niesh with *bevelled pinions 100Wh'iclrare` mounted Ionl aWorm shaft 101 journaled'in th extension 210ithe levers; j A, `worm v102 I onV the fworm shaft meshes with aworm gear12( 108 on the Worm gear shaft'104; this being mounted in a` gear casing105. extendingup-1 i Wardly from* the'upperhalf of the rearfex.;

tensioni/21."v VThe Worin is loosely rotatable on the'shatt 104 and bythe clutch 106 operated by a clutch: lever 107 through theslot 108 finthegear `casing 105 that may be clutched to ,the shaft'to drive same.-VA ypair offsprocket chains 109.transmit the Ymotion'l fromdrivesprockets: 110 on the'ends. of the Shftrlko to the sprockets 92connected lto the Sleevesl.

From the. above construction it will be apparent that when the Vrearwheels ofthe tractor are jacked up as illustrated in Figs?) and et, thatsuoli wheels 'may` bedriven at any desirefd speed by the tractor' enginethrough its usual;l drive-mechanism being controlledby the .usualthrottleand spark control and the rotation of the wheels will, through'the'gear trains' above mentioned transmit rotary motion-to the sprocket93 in the lendless track device, thereby driving thek 4endless tracktreads. n' account of the clutch 106 this mechanism c'anbe thrown out ofoperation when desired.

There isalso provided bolted collary 53V on the shaft48 by whichsaidshaft-may be entirely disconnected fromgthe sprocket .drive mechanismvfor the bucket excavator.

: It is believed the general manner of using my invention is clear fromthe above description. .It may be stated however, that the device may beutilized for digging ditches or for 'y digging a hole or a'series ofholes, the excava-torbeing elevated and the device movedbetweenoperations@ Byactuating the front steering wheelsthe ditch diggermay form a curved ditch and it will be noted by reference to Fig.y 5,that the excavator buckets may work inclose to a curb or the like, thetractor being on the roadway. -x 1 y i `vI wishto direct attentionto the.demountable features lby whichif desiredthe ditch Y digging mechanismmay be readily removed,

it beingV only necessaryto disconnect this from i thesupporting strutandthe guide lugs 31 andthevoke 32. i. However, in ordinarytransportation'by the power of thejtractor the ex-I cavator may beelevated into the position shown in Fig. 2 and thereby easily moved.

Moreover, the slow speed endless track mechanism maybe detached in asimple manner byremoving the bolts 87 so that the whole mechanismconnected with the endlessl track may be bodily removed. My combinationof the ditch digger with the slow speed mechanism however, allows bothto be elevated above the ground ,fortransportation \Vhile I haveillustrated my ditch digging y mechanism and the slow speed device asbeingattached toa well known tractor, it will be ,understood ythat withthe comparatively y simple modificationsu necessary thevconstructioncouldbe adapted to many of the types of tractors now ingeneral use orv aspecial tractor could be built` to accommodate myditching machine with the slow speed mechanismto be utilized in ditchingoperations.

Itfwi'll therefore be apparent that my ditch digger in its variousfeatures may be considerablyaltered in general construction and inspecific details to adapt it to different types of tractors or todilferent purposes. Such changes would be within the spirit ofmyinvention assetforth in the description, drawings-andclaims. e

Having described -my invention, what I claim is: Y l f 1. In a-ditchdigger, the combination of a tractor having a'rearlaxle housing, apair'of 'levers pivotallyniounted on the housing, ex-

tending forwardly thereof, a saddleV mounted on Ythe forwardT part ofthe tractor having downward depending straps, Vsaid straps bev ingconnected at their lower ends to the frame of the tractor, :a drum shaftmounted on the saddle having drums on theend thereof, pulleys mounted onthe lower ends of the straps,

ropes rovedy over the drums and the pulleys,

being connected to the forward ends of the levers, and a. system ofgearing for operating the drum shaft to wind the cables and hence movethe levers.r

` y2. In a ditch digger as'claimed in claim l,

havingin addition a slow speed supporting and driving mechanismconnected to the rear end ofthe said levers, said mechanism beingadapted on raisingof the front' ends of the levers and depressing of therear ends to raise the' axle housing and hence the'tractor wheels vabove the ground.

3. Iny a A.ditch digger having a rear axle housing having drivingwheels, a pair of levers pivotally mounted on the rear axle housing andextending forwardly and rearwardly therefrom, a slow speed supportingand driving mechanism having a wheel connected to each rearwardextension, means to move the forward ends of the levers' and depress thepinionin mesh therewith,V said pinion being journaled in the saidextension of the levers and means to transmit ,motion from the piniontothe slow speed mechanism.

k5. In a ditch digger having a tractor with driving wheels-and frontsteering wheels, a pair of levers pivotally connected to the tractor,the rear ends extending rearwardly of ivo the main portion of thetractor,the front ends of the levers extending forwardly towards thefront end, a slow speed supporting and'driving mechanism connected tothe rear ends of the levers, means to drive said mechanism from thetractor, cables connected to the frontof the levers, and means extendingrearwardly from .the forward end of the tractor to operate said cablesto raise and lower the levers and henceto raise" and lowerthe slow speedmechanism vand raise the driving wheels.

6. In the art described, the combination' of; a tractor having a rearaxle housing, anl axle therein, wheels on the axle, a ramestructurepivotally mounted on the axle housing, a supporting and drivingslowspeed endless track mechanism attached to l the frame structureentirely rearward of said liousing,jmeans to t positively exertapressure'to pivoty the frame Astructure to bring saidslow speedmechanism 1 vin contact with theground and to raise the tractor housingand hence the wheelsabove the ground, andf means to drivethe wheels andthe vslow speed mechanism. ,c e v 7. ln the art described, thecombination of v a tractor having a rear axle housing, an axle therein,.wheels on the axle, a frame structure k20 pivotally mounted on the axlehousingprovided'with longitudinally extending levers,

Vthe lfront end extending towards the front of the` tractor and the.rear extension'behind the tractor' with a slow speed supportingandvdriving mechanism connectedthereto rear# Vward of said housing,lmeans tooperate the,

levers pivot-ally mounted inthe housing, aV

rearward extension of the levers, a supporting and driving slow speedendless-trackmechanism mounted on the extensionrearwardly of the axlehousing, the slow speed mecha# nism being adapted to be brought intocontact with the groundand pressure exerted thereon to raise theftractor-wheels abovevthe ground, and means to drive the wheels and the slow'speed mechanism.v

9. In the art described, the combination of a tractor having a rear axlehousing, an axle therein, wheels on the` axle, a pluralityV of leverspiv-otally mounted on said housing, a`

rearward extension of the levers, a slow-supportingY and driving speedmechanism attached to said extension, means to operate said levers toraise the `wheelsand lower the slow speed mechanism and vice versa, and

means operable on the rotation of the tractorr wheels to drive saidslow' speed mechanism.

l0. In the art described, the combinationl e of a tractor having a` rearaxle housing,an

axle therein, wheels on the axle, a slow speed supporting and drivingmechanism, means for attaching same tothe rear axle housing, means toraise the wheels and lowerthe slow speed mechanism by, exerting pressureon said mechanism and vice versa, and means to drive said slow speedmechanism from the. driving wheels of the tractor, said drivingV wheelsbeing elevatedabove the ground.`

i 11. In theart described, a tractor having a` rear axlehousing with arear axle therein and driving wheels operated from saidy axle and'having front steering wheels, the combinationof a supporting anddrivingi'slowr speed endless track mechanism, means for raising abovethe ground by exerting a pressure on the said mechanism and engaging theslow speed mechanism with the ground, and means to drive such slowspeedmechanism from the driving wheels.

12. VIn the art described, ythe combination with a tractor having a rearyaxle housing with an axle, driving lwheels and `front steering wheels,of a supporting` anddriving slow speed endless track mechanism having`an endless track type tractiondevice, meansltor elevating the rear'axlehousing with the drivl ing wheelsy above the -ground by exerting` apressure on, the said mechanism, said endless the rear axle housingwiththe driving wheels e track device supporting the rear part of thetractor, and means to drive said endless traclr` device from the drivingwheels of the tractor.

' In testimony whereof I 'have signed'my name to this specification.

JOSEPH B. RUATTI.Y

'kiio Jaa

